House Targaryen of the Stormlands (The Grand Campaign)
NOTE: I didn't play them in the first session (up to 8022), so every events detailled here from before 8022 where ether informations coming from other players, informations from the game (dates, who own what when) or simple logic and intuition. Vaemond Targaryen (8022- ) Before being Lord Paramount Vaemond Targaryen is the fourth son of King Aegon Targaryen. Being born in 8005, or one year before the surrender of the Stormlands and the unification of Westeros, the young Targaryen never knew the continent before it was conquer by his father. To him, Westeros was the legitimate land of House Targaryen. When he was only one years old, his father tried to force a marriage between him and Lady Lia Durrandon, who was 4 years old at the time, hoping to bring an end to the Durrandon. But in the end, Aegon was force to back off due to pressions. When he was 5, his mother Rhaenys took him for his first flight on her dragon Meraxes. That's when he discovered he was afraid of heights. His mother still recalled him crying during the entire flight. Still to this day, Vaemond refuse to ride with his parents on their dragons. As Aerion and Jaehaerys (1th and 2th sons) were traine by their father, Vaemond and his older brother Aegon (the 3th son) were raise by the Commander of the King's Guard, Ronnel 'the White Griffin' Connington. It is around is 12th or 13th birth day that he realise his attraction for his brother Aegon, the kind of attraction he should have for his sister and bride Valaena, who he liked, yes, but only as a friend (the idea of marrying her never pleased him). One day, when he had free time, he went to see his his brother Aegon (who was Commander of Oldtown at the time) and confessed his feeling for him, but Aegon just laughed, probably thinking it was some sort of joke. Realising it would never work, Vaemond decided to avoid his brother for the next years, so he could maybe forget about him. Saddly, he never forgot, and Vaemond was crush by sadness when Aegon died from disease one year after the Year of the Revolts. Still, he grew up without his favorite brother, and become a competent men, although he stayed in the shadow of Jaehaerys and Aerion, his older brothers. Two years after the four revolts were crushed, his father decided to give his fourth son the Stormlands, including the lands that were actually to House Durrandon and House Toyne. After Aegon chased them from Storm's End and Blackheart, he gave them to Vaemond, thus making him Lord Paramount at the age of 17. Lord Paramount under King Aegon I Vaemond didn't get times to adapt from his change of life. In 8022, a rebellion composed of Lords of the Stormlands (House Tarth, Caron and Bywater) tried to usurp the Stormlands for Myrcella Durrandon, daughter of the old king Argilac. Vaemond, surprised by the attack, asked his brother Jaehaerys for help. He was rappidly join by Lord Twyle Lannister, the 2th son of Loren Lannister, last King of the Rock. The war only lasted 2 years, but many things happened during that time. First, Vaemond met in a Valyrian man named Haegon Farnaryen, and shortly after they became lovers. It's also during the war that the young Targaryen was knighted while leading his army, which boosted the moral of his mens. Saddly, a dark new came to him during the war, in 8023, learning that his brother Jaehaerys was killed during a fight. Feeling responsible for the death of Jaehaerys, he took Jaehaerys's son Aegon as his squire. In the end, the war was won by the Targaryen. Lord Matthos Tarth asked for a trial by combat, and won, killing a member of the Kingsguard. Later the same month, Vaemond freed the rebel, trying to start his reign as peacefully as possible. For the next two years, he ruled the Stormlands peacefully. In 8026, Matthos Tarth asked him in duel for the Stormlands, claiming he had a great claim over it and that it should be his. Vaemond refused to fight Matthos, being lasy and affraid to die so young (especially since two of his brothers died in the last years), asking his father to be his champion instead, which Matthos accepted. The fight took place in Oldtown, and numerous Lords decided to come, watching one of the most anti-Targaryen lord fighting the King. The fight ended rapidly, though, as Lord Matthos died from he second blow of Aegon. After that, none of the Stormlanders wanted to act against Vaemond. At the time, many lords say in Vaemond asking his father to be his champion an act of cowardice, but others saw it as a smart way for him to come out of this with his hands clean form any blood. It's also about that time that he took Duncan Darklyn, the young lord and son of Damon Darklyn, one of the main Instigators of the Year of the Revolts. Two years later, Duncan and Vaemond had a discussion about House Darklyn, both of them realising that they didn't know anything about Damon and Hosteen Darklyn, Vaemond only remebering them as peoples his father killed. They decided to go to Oldtown, searching for answers. It was Garse Gardener, Hand of the King, who told them about the old Darklyn Lords and the Year of the Revolts, while Vaemond was making some joke on the fact his father killed those traitors. He then showed Duncan and Aegon (son of Jaehaerys, who was with them) his brother Aegon's tomb, trying to explain to them that family was important. ] Vaemond stayed at least two years in Oldtown, happy to be back in the city where he was born years ago. During his time there, he tried to participate in the Tourney of Oldtown, but he wasn't able to qualify himself for the main Tourney. It's also during that time that Cossomo, the pentoshi who had a daughter with Orys daughter, and in a way the man responsible for the Year of the Revolts, arrived to Storm's End, a fact that he would hide from his father. But what shocked the most Vaemond was his father. During the feast following the Tourney of Oldtown, Aegon, 57 years old at the time, asked for his brother Orys. Everyone at the table was confused, and Garse Gardener tried to make up some lie. Vaemond finally told his father that he killed Orys, and that Orys was a traitor. Aegon entered in a rage against his son, punching him numerous times in from of everyone. Aegon then shouted to his son to leave, which Vaemond did, confused by his father comportements. In 8032, while his first daughter Rhaenys (named after his mother) was born, his father's condition went worst. The King mistook the actual Baratheon Lord for his brother Orys, and the Baratheon faked to be his ancestor. Aegon then gave to his brother a dragon egg. When Vaemond heard the new, he rushed to Garse Gardener, telling him they had to stop his father. Garse only answered Unlike you, I wanna live. Two years after Aegon gave a dragon egg to the Baratheon, Vaemond decided to return at Oldtown with Duncan Darklyn, now his squire. As he arrived, he found his father planning war against Brandon The Black Wolf Stark, who died 5 years ago in exile. When his father noticed him, he mistook him for his 3th son, Aegon, the first love of Vaemond. This error from his father was really hard on Vaemond. Although Bannermans in the Stormlands were expanding witouth his autorisation, he decided to stay with his father, willing to stayat his side when he would die. It happened two years later, when the cenyle King was in Dorne with Garse Gardener and Vaemond. He died from a depression, his son at his side. Vaemond second daughter, Baela, was born a few days before Aegon death. During the last years he passed with his father, he recieved a Dragon egg from Aegon. Lord Paramount under King Aerion I After his father's death, he stayed a little bit in Dorne, letting his sister-wife recovered from the birth of Baela, during which Lord Martell proposed a mariage between a Martell and his first daughter, which he refused. When he finally arrived at Oldtown, he witnessed Lord Garse Gardener facing a trial by combat. To this day, Vaemond never knew what was the crime Garse was accuse of. Aerion rappidly named his brother Master of Coin, post Vaemond would occupate with proud and competence, despite is lazy nature. While tey were preparing Aerion's crowning, a problem came up. Balerion, Aegon's old dragon, had gone wild, burning houses of Oldtown. At first panicking, Vaemond regained his cold blood when his brother gave him Dark Sister and asked him to stand at his side like Orys did for their father during the Conquest. Fueled of this newfound courage, Aerion and Vaemond charged Balerion, making their way in the burning city. After a hard fight, Aerion finally tamed Balerion, becoming his new rider. Since Vysenia died about the same time they were fighting Balerion, Aerion offered his help to Vaemond if he wanted to face Vaghar and tamed the dragon, but Vaemond refused, remembering his brother that he's affraid of heights. Vaemond was present during his brother's crowning and the tourney that followed it. During those days, he became good friend with Lord Perkin Brune, the son of the Lord Godry Brune, the predecessor of Garse Gardener as Hand of the King. After he tried to solve some problems in the Stormlands about his expanding bannermen (with little to no succes), he joined his brother in Dorne. There, Aerion negociated a bethrotal between Vaemond second daughter and a member of House Martell. Although he was no really in favor of the bethrotal, Vaemond accepted to please his brother. One night before their return to Oldtown, Vaemond his awaken by guards, who told him the king had die. Not abble to believe it, he went to his brother's bedroom. On the way, he met his sister-wife Valaena, who told him she saw the body of their brother. Realizing he was the last surviving brother at the age of 34, he began to cry, undestanding he would lived many years without his brothers. Lord Paramount under King Daemon I As he was returning to Oldtown with the corpse of his brother, he learned of the death of another Targaryen: his nephew Aegon, the son of Jaehaerys and his old squire. At this time, the Wall was defending against another King-of-Beyong-the-Wall, and Vaemond prefered to mourn his family instead of going North. Daemon, Aerion's son and the new king, was put under the protection of the Hand, Garse Gardener, who was charge of raising the futur king. During his nephew crowning, Vaemond told Garse :If something happen to him, I'll hold you responsible! During the 6 years he stayed at Oldtown, counceling his nephew, he always remained loyal to his nephew, the new king Daemon I. The beginning his reign was disturbed by Meraxes, Vaemond's mother's old dragon, who was rampaging in the city. The dragon killed numerous people before being tamed by a small lord. Even if Vaemond charged Balerion years before, he stayed this time with his nephew, thinking that the most important was to protect the young king, not fighting the dragon. Haerys, his lover, died in 8041, which was a sad day for Vaemond... and a great day for his wife, who hated Vaemond and his lover. He was also present when Duncan Darklyn fought Garse Gardener, a fight King Aegon asked for during his late years. At the time, many in the court were asking if Garse had become too old, doubting that he was still fit to be Hand of the King. Vaemond was among them. But with Garse vicotry over the young Duncan, Vaemond changed his mind and supported the old man, hopping to see him in as Hand for several more years. In 8044, while he was in Oldtown with his family, Valaena gave birth to the third child of Vaemond, a boy that they named Baleon. Strangelly, the kid was easely afraid About the same time Daemon made a trip to the Iron Isles (a trip Vaemond was against), the last of Aegon's sons was forced to return in the Stormlands again. During his absence, many lords expended their lands without his approval, and while he was away he couldn't do anything, missing the strong leadership of his brothers. But when Lord Lyonel Caron tried to expand without asking, Vaemond decided it was enough. He tried to imprison Caron, but the lord escaped the attempt and rebelled against his liedge, trying to overtrow the Targaryen. The war ended rapidly, and within a year (8045), lord Lyonel was imprisoned by Vaemond. Vaemond decided to let the old man rot in jail. After talking with Caron, he realize that the lord had convert to R'hllor, which disgusted Vaemond. When Caron asked for a trial by combat, the Lord Paramount refused, saying that the Trial by Combat was part of the Faith, and by renouncing to it Caron had renounced to his right for a trial by combat. He offered him in compentation a trial were lords would be judge, but Caron spat on him, claiming his sole Lord was R'hllor. When he returned at Oldtown, he discovered that Daemon was replacing Garse Gardener by Orys Baratheon, grandson of the original Orys and cousin to the king. Vaemond, who had a great amount of respect for the old Gardener, and who wanted the title of Hand after the old lord's death, sided with Garse when he asked for a duel with Orys, which the king refused. Frustrated of the influence Orys had on his nephew, Vaemond quited Oldtown with Garse, staying at Highgarden with him during some times. One night, as they were eating, Garse began looking at the shield used as the symbol for the Shield of Westeros years ago. When Vaemond talked about Orys control on Daemon, Garse proposed him to put Aegor, the grandson of Jaehaerys, on the throne. Vaemond told him it was madness and that he would never fight a Targaryen. Garse eventually confessed he just wanted to die, which leaved the Targaryen perplexed of their meeting. He only had the time to talk about it with Lord Argilac Tarth,the son of Matthos Tarth and grandson of King Argilac I Durrandon, as a war that no one saw coming started in 8049. A Valyrian woman named Rhaelle, who had become Balerion's rider, tried to conquer Westeros with her dragonand her 6500 men. Although her dragon was feared in the 7 Kingdoms, everyone answered the King's call to arm. The war was short, and Rhaelle was rapidly defeated. After the war, Daemon tamed Balerion, regaining his family ancestral dragon. In 8051, two year after Rhaelle failed conquest, Vaemond had a border problem with the son of Garse Gardener. Blueburn, dejure part of the Reach, was now part of the Stormlands trough inheritance. Vaemond refused to give Blueburn to the Reach, since it would mean renouncing to the Dornish Marches. After a few skirmishes, the matter was settle, and everyone got their respective lands.